April 6th to June 1st Singing FOR and IN The Natural World: An 8-Week Community Chorus Series
Singing FOR and IN The Natural World: A Community Chorus Series
Do you love music?
Do you sing in the shower?
Would you like to join your voice with others in song?
Do you wonder where your people are?
Are you longing for creative spaces where you can show up just as you are and be loved, included, and know a deep sense of belonging?
Do you want safe(er) places to move with freedom in your body?
Is singing more something you long for in your life?
Do you have a story (or 12?) about ways you've been silenced in your life?
Are you curious about what a singing circle is?
Do you care for the natural world?
Is learning new songs about animals, plants, and our beautiful world something you are drawn to?
If your answer to ANY of these questions is YES, then this series is for you!! You're invited to come as you are with the voice that you have in this moment to this Singing FOR and IN The Natural World series. Chattanooga Singing Circle is a space where all of you is welcome - the tired, grumpy, elated, despairing, terrified, joy-filled, silly, playful, exhausted, rageful, bewildered, ecstatic, meh, and hungry parts of you are all welcome in this ever-widening circle. We will do our best to hold expansive space for every aspect of you that longs to be in community as we live in songs FOR and IN the natural world. You might find that you fall just a little more in love with this world each time we gather during this 8-week series.
All are invited to breathe, hum, or sing with us, and together we will find and create melodies, harmonies, and a bit more LOVE in this city and the world. No prior singing experience necessary. ALL are welcome to join this experience that we will together co-create beginning Sunday, April 6th from 4:30-6:00pm.
This series and community experience is a little piece of magic in a world that is sometimes A.Whole.Lot.To.Hold.
This is a non-auditioned, experiential singing group, created by and for this community. Try it out and be delighted by the beautiful sound we can make together - ALL voices welcome! No experience needed. We are a non-performing group that is oriented around experience, fun, depth, and connection. This committed series will give participants the opportunity to deepen into a repertoire of enriching songs focused on how we can choose to stay open-hearted and authentic in our lives as we build meaningful community experiences together over the course of these 8 weeks.
Try it for almost FREE!
New participants are welcome to come try it out and attend one session for almost FREE once in the first two weeks without needing to commit. Please indicate your intention to try it by signing up here and checking out with a $1 donation option. Please plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early for a bit of an orientation to this experience. Invite your friends and family to join! The more the merrier!
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WHEN & WHERE?
Every Sunday afternoon at Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church and every Wednesday evening as we learn a set repertoire of stretching harmony/layer/part songs around the theme of Living in and Singing for The Natural World!
This is a super deal!
EIGHT SUNDAY AFTERNOONS
April 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th,
May 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th
4:30-6:00pm
Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church
St. Mary's Parish Hall and adjacent garden
1607 W 43rd St, 37409
SEVEN WEDNESDAY EVENINGS (we will be walking and singing as well as finding spaces to be settled for a while at each session; feel free to bring bug spray, portable chairs, or blankets to access the comfort level you need)
April 9th: Coolidge Park under the Market Street Bridge
April 16th: St. Elmo end of the Riverwalk, parking off Middle Street behind Crust Pizza
April 23rd: Riverview Park in North Chattanooga at the intersection of Barton Ave and Terrace Ave
April 30th: Blue Goose Hollow Park, Riverwalk off of Riverfront Pkwy
*May 7th: PERISCOPE PITCH NIGHT for ChattaSings - Rise of Chattanooga, 2901 Taylor Street - all are welcome to join for singing for fun, but not part of the Natural World series
May 14th: Chattanooga Confederate Cemetery adjacent to UTC's campus between Mocs Alumni Drive and E. Third Street
May 21st: Renaissance Park off Manufactures Rd
May 28th: Miller Park on MLK and Market Street
6:30-8:00pm each Wednesday evening
In the event of inclement weather on Wednesday evenings we will meet at:
Unitarian Universalist Church
3224 Navajo Drive, 37411
<AND>
The Big SING! and Community Potluck
Sunday, June 1st from 4:30-6:00pm
Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church
St. Mary's Parish Hall and adjacent garden
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WHAT IS THIS?
Join this 7th series of a community chorus in Chattanooga, led by Naomi Griffin Self. Discover your voice in new ways in this experiential, inclusive, and supportive space for folks to come together around songs for and about living in the Natural World in true authenticity and connection to self and others. Join your voice in song through thoughtful, joy-filled and whole-hearted singing in community! We're singing for the simple pleasure of singing as a group, no auditions and no performing. We believe that singing is a birthright and welcome all levels of experience. Timid and new singers are held by the collective as they discover their voices and experience belonging in the group tapestry of sound. Like a yoga class, you will leave feeling uplifted, connected, and proud of your effort at trying something new.
- Over the course of 8 weeks, participants will learn a repertoire of easy-to-learn, short form songs that are mostly sourced from the modern community singing movement. MUSIC is not notated as all songs will be taught by ear, mostly through call-and-repeat style of teaching.
- When you join for the series, you are invited to come to each weekly session. The musical repertoire will be roughly the same each week although the order and feel of each session will vary depending on the energy we all bring to the experience.
- All registered participants who commit to the series will have email access to lyrics and teaching tracks for the songs to support learning and carrying the songs with you beyond the series.
Our series will culminate in a BIG SING!, where all of the singers get to dress up fancy (or not), come together with family and friends, and hear and feel all of our voices combined and share a potluck dinner together with the community afterwards! This is NOT A PERFORMANCE, but a participatory celebration of singing together and building community! More on that later....
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REGISTRATION
Please reserve your spot by registering in advance, preferably here on this website.
If you are coming to try out a session in the first two weeks to see if this is for you, please register for $1 to reserve your spot. If you decide to join, you may pay later here or in person.
- $125-$300* sliding scale *Sliding scale is meant to welcome people of diverse backgrounds and economic access. I invite you to consider your positionality and choose the sweet spot that is both generous and affordable for you.
- Your payment is for the entire series, regardless of your attendance. If you make it to 5 sessions, it's a great deal. If you make it all 16 90-minute sessions PLUS the Big SING!, it's a crazy great deal!
- I think of this sliding scale in terms of Supported, Sustaining, and Supporting. In other words, the minimum of $125 is the perfect place for you when your finances are tight as you value this experience and want to be part of it. A payment of $175-$200 is ideally for those who are living comfortably without a lot of surplus but also without a super tight budget. A price point of $225-$300 is for those who have an abundance of resources well above their needs and choose to regularly give back to support meaningful community projects that are in alignment with their personal values and priorities. The abundance in this "Supporting" category makes it possible for there to always be scholarships available for those for whom even this sliding scale option is a stretch beyond their ability to pay. Singing in community is for everyone, and together we can make it possible for all who want to join to be able to do so. Thanks in advance for your thoughtful engagement with the financial exchange for this offering.
- Your learning and capacity to live in the songs and deepen into this community will be enhanced by your regular attendance. I encourage you to clear your calendar and make this experience a priority in your week. You (and we!) will be glad you did!
- Youths under 18 years old may attend for FREE with an accompanying adult. Please read more below on bringing kiddos.
- If you are unable to pay even the lower end of the suggested amount and can offer trade in lieu of financial contribution, reciprocity is greatly appreciated, thank you! Please contact me ASAP to make arrangements. I want to make it work for everyone to be able to attend, while still feeling supported in this endeavor.
- I ask folks to register here, as it makes tracking registration much easier. AND if need be, you are welcome to contact me directly to register and/or work out a payment plan. In addition to registering here, I am happy to receive money via cash, checks, or Venmo.
- Unless your registration is to indicate interest but not yet commitment to this series or unless otherwise discussed with me, please pay in full by the first session you attend. I do not offer refunds. If something comes up, feel free to talk with me individually to work toward a mutually acceptable resolution.
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PARKING AND VENUE ENTRANCE
>St. Mary's Parish Hall, Thankful Memorial Episcopal Church<
1607 W 43rd St. Chattanooga, TN 37409
Parking: There is ample street parking on Thankful Place, Alabama Ave. and W. 43rd St.
Entrance: Facing the church from Thankful Place, St. Mary's Parish Hall is the building to your left. If steps are not an issue, you may enter through the main door facing Thankful Place. If you need easier access, you may use the ramp and enter through the side door between the Parish Hall and The Garden.
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THINGS TO KNOW
- We will be sitting in chairs AND be standing and moving about (you are empowered and supported to take care of your body if you have challenges with this).
- Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes that you can move around in.
- Please bring a water bottle.
- Please arrive 10-15 minutes early. We begin at the posted start time, and being present for the beginning is important.
- Eat lightly before we meet. Singing requires space in your diaphragm and outward-facing expressive energy; digestion doesn't help with either. Small snacks to get you through are fine.
- Be fragrance/perfume-free.
- This is a closed container, not a drop-in group, with the exception of the first 4 sessions (two weeks) open to new singers to come try it out. Any other exceptions will need to be approved by me.
- This is primarily an adult group. Children who are non-disruptive to the group are welcome to be present and participate. I ask for parents' attention and support in meeting their children's needs. You are welcome to bring your family to try it out and have a dialogue about it. Youth under 18 are included for FREE with a paying adult.
- Session outline - much like a fitness class, we'll start wtih some orientation and warm ups, learn a bunch of lovely songs through a process of call-and-repeat, and end with a cool down.
- Teaching tracks will be available to registered participants after the first two weeks.
- Phones/Recording - please make sure to silence your phone before our sessions start. I ask you to refrain from any recording (audio/video) during sessions. This is to allow us to be fully present.
- Connection over perfection - the goal is rich and meaningful experience as a group, not musical perfection. If someone sings a wrong note or is off, be kind. This is a "call-out free space." I welcome you to ask for a part again for your section or for your own learning if you sense that something is not coming together smoothly.
- This is a hybrid of an in-person, indoor/outdoor, mask-optional class. Consider it to be full exposure. We will be close to one another and breathing together deeply. Thank you in advance for keeping any illness to yourself if you suspect you are unwell.
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ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Naomi Griffin Self (she/her) is an ever-evolving human, songleader, arts-lover, life coach, creative, and community leader, living and loving on the unceded land of the Cherokee people otherwise known as the Chattanooga, TN area on Turtle Island. For many years she regularly attended The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY where she shared in the art of creating community through exploring songs, rhythms, chants, and harmonies in the "Singing in the Stream" workshop led by Maggie Wheeler and Emile Hassan Dyer. Naomi longs for a world in which we listen deeply to one another, celebrate diversity, and promote peace and justice as together we create thoughtful melodies and harmonies that make our lives and our world a more nurturing space for all.
With 20+ years of musical education including piano, flute, and choir participation, 10 years of Community Singing Circle experience, and hundreds of hours leading community song circles, Naomi is also a member of the Ubuntu Choirs Network and a 2023 Community Choir Leadership Training Graduate.
Naomi encourages you to be awed by the sound of your own music resonating with others as the rhythms, harmonies, melodies, dissonance, resolution, and magic moments of pause reflect the reality of the rich palette of your unique lived experience. Teaching songs to attend to a wide variety of topics and emotional realities, Naomi facilitates singing to awaken heart, voice, and body in these beautiful circles that she carefully curates and joyfully facilitates. Naomi invites you to open your heart, mind, mouth, and diaphragm to the possibilities you will create in your own life. Your voice deserves to be heard however it shows up.
To learn more about Naomi's work in the world visit her website, Your Self Services. You are also invited to follow Chattanooga Singing Circle on Facebook or yourselfservices on Instagram.
Click here to sign up for Naomi's mailing list (the most reliable way to stay informed of upcoming events).
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INCLUSION & SOLIDARITY STATEMENT
As a cis-gendered, white, hetero, able-bodied, middle-aged American woman with ADHD and a history of trauma, I am committed to undoing systems of societal oppression and supporting liberation from the inside out, personally and collectively. I welcome folks of all identities and backgrounds to join my offerings and will do my best to cultivate an inclusive and supportive community space for those demographics that have been marginalized historically. I also acknowledge the limitations of my perspective and capacity due to the conditioned lens through which I see the world. I am committed to deepening my listening, my learning, and my unlearning and am open to doing so in community. May our collective learning serve toward the liberation of all beings.
Please help me spread the word and share this with anyone who may benefit from deepening into their voice and coming together in community for group harmony singing!
